The Boy in Red
by Violindance7
Summary: A genderbent retelling of the 2011 movie, Red Riding Hood.
1. Prologue: The Village

**Hello. My username is Violindance7 and this is my first ever attempt at fan fiction. This is going to be a genderbent retelling of the 2011 movie Red Riding Hood. I liked that it was a dark retelling of the original tale, and decided to genderbend this instead of the original fairy tale. Hope you like it and feel free to review.  
**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own the original story, Little Red Riding Hood, nor the 2011 movie, Red Riding Hood.**

* * *

 **The Boy in Red**

 _A Genderbent Fanfiction_

 _By Violindance7_

Prologue: The Village

Once upon a time, there was a village called Daggerhorn. It was a small village, so small that every person knew each other. It wasn't as prosperous as the towns that supposedly existed beyond the vast forest, but the people survived. Though some people in the village could argue if it was worth it to survive, if the people did not live. For you see, every person in Daggerhorn lived in fear. They feared the world beyond the stone walls of the village and the things they could not see nor understand. But most of all, they feared the Wolf.

For as long as anyone could remember, the villagers were slaves to the Wolf. Every full moon, one villager was chosen to make a sacrifice in the form of livestock. For the villagers, one cow or three chickens was the difference between starvation and barely surviving. But no matter how steep the price, every villager was willing to choose the risk of starvation over incurring the Wolf's wrath.

But even if the Wolf received its offering, several villagers refused to venture beyond the village gates for very long. Only during the day, the woodcutters would leave the village and cut their wood and bring it back to the village. The only person to live outside the stone walls was a hermit known simply as "Grandmother." Being the only person to survive beyond the stone walls made her a symbol of wisdom, and a topic of gossip. But most villagers simply let her be.

Though she was called Grandmother, she only had two grandsons. The elder grandson, Lucius, was what you would expect from a grandson. He was obedient and well-behaved, with dark hair and brown eyes that allowed him to blend in with the rest of the villagers. The younger grandson, Val, was the complete opposite. Val always got into trouble, and always stuck out with hair the color of fresh corn and rather unusual green eyes that always gave villagers the feeling that they were looking into the eyes of something not quite human.

As they grew older, both boys became more set in their ways. Lucius lost any sense of adventure he had as a boy and began to think of his future, most likely as a woodcutter like his father. Val, on the other hand, only gained a greater taste for adventure. With each passing day, he felt the need to escape the village. To see the world beyond the village gates, like his friend, Petra, whose father took her away from the village when they were young. But most of all, he wanted to face the Wolf.

This is the story of Val, the boy in red, and the Wolf.


	2. Chapter 1: The Harvest

**The Boy in Red**

 _A Genderbent Fanfiction_

 _By Violindance7_

Chapter 1: The Harvest

* * *

"Do you think she'll say yes?"

"I don't know. Why don't you ask her?"

"She'll never say yes to me. You're the one she always says yes to."

"Fine." Lucius and Val were sitting on the stone wall in front of their home, waiting for their mother to get home from the market. "Everything has to go perfectly."

"Don't worry," Val said while lying down on the wall to stare at the sky. "Everything will be fine. We've got her favorite sweet cakes cooling on the table and she trusts Pri's father."

"You got the tea, right?"

"Of course I did. Grandmother gave me enough to keep Pri's father asleep for three days. And if Grandmother asks, mother's cold is much better."

"Well I would hope so, or I'd be very concerned." They both jumped at the sound of their mother's voice as she walked up the road. Suzette smiled as they tried to cover their guilt. "So why are my boys lying to their grandmother and telling her their mother has a cold?"

"We're sorry mother. It's just, Grandmother wanted us to help her make more tea today, but we didn't want to miss the harvest. You know I've been looking forward to it all year."

"Yes, your first harvest Val. But that isn't an excuse to lie to your Grandmother." As Suzette climbed the ladder to enter their home, the boys exchanged a worried glance, until she turned around. "But if you two help me cook dinner before you go, I promise I won't tell her." They smiled as they clambered up the ladder to help their mother prepare dinner.

While the boys helped chop the vegetables and stir the stew, Suzette's mind wandered. She thought of her husband, Cesaire, and how his greatest fault was his lack of imagination. Not once in their many years of marriage did he ever give her a satisfying answer when she asked what he thought lied beyond the forest that surrounded their little village. But what he lacked in imagination, he more than made up for in dependability. Goodness knows he could drink less, especially during the day. But he always managed to cut enough wood to provide for their family, and for that, she was grateful. Theirs's could hardly be called an exciting life, and could have been a happier life. But it was a content life, and she knew, standing here with her boys, was more than good enough for her. Once she came to this conclusion, she turned around, only to be startled to find Val staring at her, with his strangely green eyes that always gave her the sense that he had been reading her thoughts. Her mother in law always chided her that she didn't keep an eye on her youngest son when he was a baby and he had been kidnapped and swapped with a changeling. It was the only explanation for those eyes, considering both she and her husband had eyes the color of dirt. She shook her head at such nonsense.

"It's good you boys are helping me with household chores. You'll both need to be able to cook if you want your wife happy."

Lucius countered, "Father doesn't help you cook."

"Yes, and that's why I'm always grumpy. Always keep in mind that marriage is about being there for each other."

"Mother, I'm eighteen and Val just turned seventeen. Don't you think it's a little early to be talking about marriage and keeping our wives happy?"

"You're both of marriageable age. You're young men and we need to start thinking of your futures."

While Suzette turned to stir the stew, the boys looked at each other and nodded. Now was the moment.

"So, Mother. Speaking of being old enough, we'll be leaving for the harvest soon."

"Yes, yes," Suzette muttered as her mind began to wander again.

"And some of our friends are going to the little campfire at the end of the day."

"Mm-hmmm," as she began to think about when she first held the boys in her arms.

"And Priam's father volunteered to watch over all of us…" Val began.

"…and we wanted to know if we could go with them," Lucius finished.

Suzette turned around trying to focus on this information. "And Priam's father will be there?"

"Yes," they both said at once.

"Well I suppose so," she said slowly. They both smiled, kissed her on the cheek, thanked her, and ran out the door before she had a chance to react. It was only then Suzette realized she'd given her boys permission when she probably shouldn't have, and that she would live to regret this.

* * *

"I can't believe she said yes!" The boys ran down the road, excited for the day ahead. They ran until they found their friend, Roxas, standing outside his house.

"So? What's the word?"

"We can go!"

"And you brought the tea?"

"Of course."

"Yes! I can't wait." The three boys were about to walk towards the harvest field when Roxas' mother, Marguerite, came out of the house.

"Make sure to take your sister with you."

"Mother, are you sure Claudette will be safe? I won't be able to watch her if the Reeve puts us in different groups."

"Well I'll be working at the tavern all day and I certainly can't bring her there. Unless you'd rather stay home to watch her."

Val knew Roxas was looking forward to the harvest and thought quickly. "We'll all watch her. With five of us, six including Pri's father, someone will be able to watch her."

"Are you sure?"

"We promise."

"Thank you." At that moment, Claudette came rushing out, excited for the day. The four started walking towards the field. While Roxas and Lucius talked, Val noticed the looks the villagers they passed gave Claudette. Everyone in the village knew there was something not right with her. Some said she was dropped on her head as a child, or she was exposed to the cold too long. She rarely talked, and when she did, it came out as an inaudible babble only Roxas and Marguerite could decipher. Her attention always shifted and it was hard for her to focus on anything. She might have been able to blend in, if not for her freckles and hair the color of a carrot. Val knew that though he was considered odd for blonde hair, Roxas and Claudette were considered freaks for their hair. But Val always felt they were more blessed than cursed; red hair was far more interesting than black or brown hair.

They eventually found their other friends, Priam and Ross, sitting on the wall across from the blacksmith's shop. Val was confused when the boys shushed them when they said "Hello" until he saw the reason Priam and Ross chose this spot to wait for them. Out of the blacksmith's shop walked a girl. Henrietta Lazar. She was the most beautiful girl in the village with fair skin, long hair, and a shapely body that certainly got your attention when you walked past her. But what made her the object of every boy's desires was her determination to prove she could do anything a man could. Her father, Adrien Lazar, had wanted a son. But instead of blaming his daughter, he chose to make the best of what he had and taught her as if she were a boy. He taught her to hunt and provide for herself. But most importantly, he taught her the trade of a blacksmith, a very prestigious position in the village. He was hard on her, but it was clear to everyone in the village that he loved her dearly, especially since the death of his wife years earlier, a topic rarely brought up. Henrietta knew this, and always strove to prove to her father she could be the son he never had, and it made the boys in the village fall for her even harder. Val never understood why his friends fell for her and he never did. She was beautiful and kind and he had to admit, his true love would probably be a woman who wouldn't want to be boxed in to the role of doting wife. But to him, Henrietta was just another friend. So when Henrietta looked up from chopping wood and noticed the group staring at her, Val simply waved while the other guys went mute and smiled shyly. Except Lucius. He just had to follow social protocol and bowed before rushing after the group, turning beet red from embarrassment. Henrietta just shook her head, and stole a quick glance at the one she actually did like before going back to chopping the wood.

After they were out of ear shot, Val teased his friends, "Save something for the guests at the harvest. I'm sure some of the girls from the other villages can't wait to be stared at in uncomfortable silence." They all laughed as they started to race towards the field. Val knew his friends were looking forward to meeting the girls. But he was looking forward to a night of freedom. And in a village like Daggerhorn, freedom meant everything.

As the sun rose in the sky, the volunteers in the village were hard at work harvesting the different fields. There were groups harvesting wheat, corn, potatoes, hay, etc. Everyone was working hard until they heard the rumbling of wheels and horse hooves. They looked up to see a line of wagons, full of volunteers from a nearby village to help with the harvest, and the whispers of excitement began. Though the villagers lived in fear of anything unknown to them, nobody in the village could resist the allure of talking about something new. Especially the young men and women of the village. Val shook his head as his friends all made sure to stretch and flex when the women from other villages passed by. He was happy for his friends, but he just didn't feel the excitement they felt. He was sure the girls were all nice, but they just lacked…something. He didn't understand it; he should have felt joy and excitement like his friends. But he had to face it, he was just born…different.

The last wagon had stopped and the last group was walking towards the Reeve to get their assignments. As they walked by, something made Val look up. A strange feeling, that it was his destiny to look up at that moment. When he looked up, he locked eyes with a girl. She was beautiful with dark eyes and hair. But the strange thing was, she looked familiar. Like a girl he had dreamed of many nights for years, unsure of who she was and yet he felt he already knew everything about her.

"It couldn't be," he thought to himself. "Could it be…Petra?"


	3. Chapter 2: The Fields

**The Boy in Red**

 _A Genderbent Fanfiction_

 _By Violindance7_

Chapter 2: The Fields

* * *

It was years ago, when they were younger.

 _Petra and I had been playing in the fields. We were running, playing hide and seek and tag. She was always so good at finding me, but I could out run her. It was my turn and I was running after her before she got to the big rock in the middle of the field. Then her father appeared out of nowhere on a big black horse. He was screaming, "_ We need to leave. Now!" _He yanked her up as we heard the villagers screaming. The last I saw of her was her looking back at me as they rode away. They left the village, and I never saw her again._

* * *

"I must be crazy," he thought. For years he had imagined leaving the town and finding her. "It couldn't be her. Could it?" He wanted to get a closer look, but he knew the Reeve would only yell at him to get back to work. But he kept an eye on the girl as she set to work with her scythe. Between his work and the constant movement of people around them, Val could only catch a glimpse here and there. A hand gripping the rake, dark hair against tanned skin, the set of her jawbone. Not once did she ever look up from the rhythmic motion of the work. He was sure it was her, if he could only get closer. He longed to be near her, to know her again, to know if she was the same person he once called his best friend.

At last, she looked up, and their eyes met. She paused, her dark eyes still and opaque. Then she turned away, and his heart fell. As if nothing happened, she went back to swinging her scythe, and she did not look up again.

His thoughts ran frantically. "Does she not remember? Maybe it's not her. Maybe she belongs to someone else?" All he could do was get back to work, heartbroken and confused.

* * *

"Val."

Kneeling on the ground, tying up a sheaf of hay, he heard a female voice. "She remembers," he thought, excitement running through him. He was unsure of whether to look up or not.

"Val? Are you alright?"

He raised his head, only to see Henrietta Lazar holding out a jug of water.

"I thought you might have gone deaf from working so hard. You haven't taken a break all day so I thought I'd bring some water to you."

"Oh. Thank you." He ignored the water and reached for the thick copper mallet she was holding and lifted the cool metal to his cheek. While he held the mallet to his face, he tried to angle a glance at Petra, but Henrietta was blocking his view. Once he had held the mallet to both of his cheeks and the mallet was no longer cool, he handed it back to her, and she began to giggle. "What's so funny?"

"Had I known you were going to do that, I would have cleaned it. You've got a circle of soot on each of your cheeks." Before he had a chance to react, she brushed a hand against the left side of his face and showed a palm covered in soot. In spite of himself, he had to laugh. He declined her offer of a handkerchief and wiped the soot on his sleeves. He knew the water was just an excuse for Henrietta to be a part of the day. She was working with her father mending tools in the forge and therefore was once again apart from the others. Despite her wish to be like the other girls in the village, life had decided that Henrietta Lazar was destined to not be like others. Though when he looked down, and saw her leather boots, he thought about how hard it is to feel sympathy for someone for feeling different if being different meant you weren't starving. But clearly, he hadn't been subtle in his thoughts as Henrietta looked down too and blushed. "I know, they're stupid. But my grandmother constantly reminds me that a lady must always look her best."

"Well of course. Even at the cost of practicality." At first Val thought that might be misunderstood as rude, until Henrietta smiled.

"Of course. Why it is absolutely scandalous that I not wear a ball gown while mending tools by a roaring fire. Why the thought that I not be cooked alive almost makes one faint." They both laughed, but Val kept an eye on Petra to see if she noticed him talking to Henrietta, but she kept on working and showed no sign that she noticed. "Well, thank you for the chat. I suppose I'll offer water to everyone else."

"Right. Thank you for your mallet."

"Of course." Henrietta knew Val wasn't paying attention. Though she grew up different from the other children, she still knew some of them, Val in particular, and she knew when Val was in one of his states. A state in which the world melts away, and he's barely conscious of anything around him because he wants to be alone. Something always drew Henrietta to the boy with blonde hair and bright green eyes. He was different, whether it was the green eyes that made you feel as if you were talking to something not quite human, or his desire to see the world beyond the walls of the village, unafraid of what he might find. As she walked away to offer more people water, she thought about how he was different, and she was different. And maybe, they could at least be different together.

* * *

As the midday sun rose high in the sky, the villagers all stopped and ate their lunches, the women in one group and the men in the other. While his friends chatted and compared the different girls they saw today, Val kept an eye on the line for water. There she was, waiting in line and looking through her bag. Suddenly, she glanced up, and caught his eye again. "Should I say something to her?" he thought, "Does she recognize me?" She then turned away, and he had to let it go for now.

* * *

Some of the women were bathing in the river. Henrietta was swimming when she noticed some of the visiting women approaching the river bank. She thought nothing of it, until one in particular caught her eye. She was tall and dark, yet there was something about her that sent alarms ringing in her head. Immediately, she took a large gulp and sank beneath the surface. She needed to make the world disappear. To make the memories disappear.

 _The dark man had stolen something from papa. Mama was a fighter, she couldn't let anything go. And then the horse reared. She hit her head hard against the ground. There was so much blood, and I'd never seen papa so broken._

Her lungs were ready to burst, and she had to rise to the surface. Her head burst through, and she blinked away the water. She blinked again, and felt relief to see Petra was nowhere to be seen. But she knew, no matter how long she stayed underwater, she could never erase those memories.

* * *

Seeing Henrietta Lazar frightened Petra. Before Henrietta resurfaced, she quickly walked away, trying to get as far away from her as possible. "Why did I come back?" For years, she had avoided Daggerhorn, even after her father died. She didn't want to remember that day, the day she felt so ashamed. The day she realized she was the daughter of a thief, and a murderer. But she knew the reason she came back. Because of him. She was drawn to him, as if an unknown force were pushing her back to him. The boy with the green eyes. And here he was, still. Seeing him there, she knew she still loved him, after all these years. Yet he reminded her of the past. Her thoughts were interrupted by the sounding of the horn in the fields, signaling the end of lunch. She was happy to go back to work. But as she walked towards the field, she continued to think, "Why did I return?"

* * *

The Reeve, the weary overseer, was pairing the women and the men, who would heave up the hay to the wagons and stomp them flat. Val glanced to his left at the line of women, searching for her. He found her in the middle, her eyes fixed on his. The distance between them suddenly felt too great, and he had to get closer. Without thinking, he sidestepped a few eager men, carefully counting the number of people in each line to make sure he was paired with Petra. As the Reeve got closer, his heart beat faster, until the Reeve placed a hand on his shoulder, then Petra's and muttered, "You and you." With a silent sigh of relief, he and Petra set to work. As the afternoon wore on, Val kept trying to make eye contact with Petra. But not once did she ever look at him, not even when they're fingers brushed as he lifted the bales of hay to her. He wanted to say something, but there was always someone nearby. He didn't want the first words he said to her to be heard by anyone else, they had to be heard by only her.

The day slowly wound to a close, and as the last few bales of hay were loaded on to the wagons, the villagers prepared to leave. Val knew it was now or never. "Petra…" She straightened from picking up her sack, and slowly turned to face him, and met his eyes. Before he could stop himself, he asked, "Do you remember?"

She took a step towards him. "How could I forget?" Before either of them could say anything else, they heard the horn signaling the end of the day and the start of the campfire celebration. Petra held his eyes a moment more before turning and walking away.

* * *

While water was boiled and chickens roasted over fires for the feast, the young men and women plotted. Discreetly, Priam and Ross dispersed Grandmother's tea among different groups to make sure there were no chaperones awake to ruin the fun later. Roxas and Lucius walked Claudette back to the village, and Val was tasked with hiding one of the old rowboats that were usually abandoned at the side of the river. Normally they were left alone, but they had to make sure nothing went wrong tonight. He dragged a sturdy boat to a few nearby bushes and was about to head back to the camp when he noticed a group of the visiting villagers being addressed by the Reeve. He was asking for volunteers to stay an extra few days to clear pine trees, but he was surprised when Petra was among the villagers who raised their hands. The Reeve did not expect to see a young woman among the volunteers, but the others hardly seemed fazed. It didn't matter to Val, he was just granted an extra few days to talk to Petra.

The feast was filled with merriment, in contrast to the dullness of the day. There was laughter and sharing of stories between villages. Val kept trying to get Petra's attention, but either he was being pulled into a conversation by one of his friends, or she was too far away for him to slip away unnoticed. As the feast drew to a close, the women were ordered across the river to the women's camp, despite several of the women's protests, and some of the men's. Some of the women were afraid the Wolf may attack, even though the Wolf had been offered a goat the night before. But their fears were soothed, and the women slowly moved towards the boats to take them to the other side of the river. Val stooped down to pick up his bag when he suddenly felt someone behind him. He felt warm breath on his ear as he heard, "Come find me later."

He turned to Petra. "How will I find you?"

"Watch for my light." And then she was gone.


	4. Chapter 3: The Blood Moon

**The Boy in Red**

 _A Genderbent Fanfiction_

 _By Violindance7_

Chapter 3: The Blood Moon

* * *

The boat slid along the water silently. Grandmother's tea had worked perfectly, and they were free to visit the girls without worrying about being caught. The others were excited, but Val kept a silent watch for the candlelight. Eventually they reached the girls camp, and were greeted by a warm campfire surrounded by girls, all ready for mischief. Except she wasn't among them. Before long, a fiddle was brought out and a small dance ensued. Other boys and girls arrived, yet she still wasn't among them. Val began to lose hope, until he saw it. A flickering light in the darkness beyond the trees. Without anyone noticing, Val slipped away.

Further he slipped into the darkness. He called out softly, but he couldn't hear or see anything, and it made him feel foolish. He started back towards the campfire, resolved to forget her, until he saw a flicker in the distance. Quickly, he hurried towards it, trampling through the darkness. He called out again, but heard nothing but his own breathing. He was about to give up when he heard a noise next to his ear. He turned and came face to face with a horse.

"Get on," he heard as he saw Petra silhouetted against the moonlight and holding out a hand for him. Before he knew it, he was sitting on the horse behind her, his body so close to hers. Before he knew it, the horse took off. They rode, fast and free, the wind in their hair and the feeling they could keep going on forever.

Suddenly they heard, "Thief! Bring me back my horse!"

Petra brought the horse to a halt and whispered, "Promise to be here when I get back?"

"Of course." Val slid off the horse while Petra went to sneak the horse back without getting caught. He wasn't sure what to feel. His head told him to return to his friends and forget her. He knew this was indicative of the kind of person Petra had become. But he knew that the danger intrigued him. All he could think about was being close to her. He wanted to know everything. He wanted to feel every curve of her body, know the way she smelled, and not care about the consequences. And he wondered, "Is this what love feels like?"

* * *

He looked up at the sky while trying to figure out what he was feeling, and felt the wind pick up. The clouds moved, and revealed a full moon. A red, full moon. _The blood moon._ Suddenly, his thoughts were filled with the elders' tales. They warned about a rare occurrence, when the Wolf would go on a bloodlust, during the period of the full moon when it was red. And then he heard it; a howl. A howl so loud, it shook the trees and came from all directions at once.

Before he knew it, he was running towards the river. He scrambled, blindly in the dark, unsure of where he was going and only wanting to find safety. He eventually burst through the trees and saw so many people scrambling towards the boats. There were only a few boats left on the riverbank and he immediately sprinted towards one. He saw Roxas and Ross.

"Where's Lucius and Priam?"

"They were in the first boat, I think."

The boat lurched as the boat was pushed off the bank and into the water. Suddenly, Val remembered he forgot to wait for Petra. He looked back and saw a few boats waiting for stragglers, and told himself she would be fine and get to one of them in time, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in his chest.

Everyone was piling into the village. The visitors were given places to sleep, while the villagers began to panic from the news. Val tried to find Lucius and Petra in the commotion, but couldn't find either of them. He eventually made it to the cottage, where his mother was waiting on the porch. Seeing her son, she immediately cried, "Oh thank God!" and rushed down the stairs to embrace him.

"Are father and Lucius alright? Roxas and Ross said they were with Priam."

"No. I haven't seen Lucius and your father went back out to look for you two. I'm sure he'll find him at Priam's. Now come inside."

Lying in bed, Val felt incomplete. He never could sleep well unless he knew his brother was beside him. Though Val was the braver of the two, he always felt braver with Lucius beside him; as if together they were invincible. His thought also drifted to Petra and he worried whether she had made it to the village unharmed. Eventually, it began to rain, and the sound of the falling rain lulled him to sleep.

* * *

"I remember my first blood moon." Suzette was absentmindedly chopping vegetables while Val helped knead dough. "It was long before I met your father. There was a boy and he dared me to meet him in the woods. It was so romantic, and horrifying."

Val wasn't listening. He was thinking about Lucius and Petra. He knew Petra was fine, she seemed like she knew things other people didn't. She knew the secrets of the world and he wanted to escape with her so he too could learn them. Lucius, however, doesn't know the secrets of the world. Though he has always been the older brother, Val always felt like his protector. So it worried him when he went to Priam's that morning only to find Lucius hadn't spent the night there, or even been on the boat with him. There was nothing he could do, however, but wait and hope his brother was alright.

Suddenly his mother's hand was waving in front of his face. "I swear, you're impossible when you go into those states. I'll finish up the dough. You bring some water to you father." Val gladly went to the well and filled a flask with water. He approached the area where they were clearing the trees and searched for Petra. With a sigh of relief, he saw her at the edge of the woods, whacking away at a tree. He quickly gave his father water and slowly walked toward Petra, making sure she didn't notice him. She put down her axe to get water, and he took his chance. He darted to the axe and quickly ran into the woods with it before anyone noticed. When she got back, she immediately looked towards the woods, and began to walk towards him. Laughing, he led her further into the woods. When he felt they were a safe distance away from the other men, he stopped behind a tree and waited for her. When she caught up to him, he hid the axe behind his back, unsure of where to go from there. But the frown on her face gave him pause.

"Give me back the axe."

"What will you give me for it?"

"I'm serious. I'm not wasting my time going after someone who belongs to someone else."

"What are you talking about?"

"They didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

"I heard the men congratulating your father earlier. It seems you've been betrothed. To Henrietta Lazar."

All of a sudden the world seemed to spin. He dropped the axe and had to hold on to the tree for support. "No. I can't be. They would have told me."

"It's done."

Val's mind ran a mile a minute. He couldn't be married to Henrietta. It wasn't right, they barely knew each other. And he wanted to be with Petra. "What do we do?"

Shocked by the question, Petra asked, "Do you want to marry her?"

"You know I don't."

"Do I? How can either of us know? We aren't the same people we were when we were younger."

"I do know. Do you love me?"

"Yes."

"Then run away with me."

"Are you sure?"

"I wanted to last night, and I want to now. We could go anywhere, the city, the mountains, the sea. As long as I have you, I'll be happy."

"You'd leave your home? Your family? Everything, for me?"

"Yes."

She smiled. "Then what are we waiting for?" She ran, and he followed. They ran through the afternoon light, feeling invincible, ready for their life to begin.

* * *

Claudette was playing in the fields. Her mother and brother were busy and failed to notice her as she slipped away and was playing with her homemade tarot cards. Her mother disapproved because she thought they bordered on witchcraft, not to mention Claudette had taken perfectly good materials from the kitchen to make those cards. But why not believe in magic? The world was a magical place full of wonder and beauty, if you only opened your eyes to it. Claudette was playing with her cards when one blew away in the wind. She chased it into a flattened wheat field. She caught it and stared at it. The Moon. When she looked up, what she saw removed any belief in beauty and magic. There was torn flesh. Dried blood. Shredded clothing. For a moment, her body was rigid with fear. Then she ran, desperate to get away from this evil place, knowing she would not forget.

* * *

They were still running when the bell tolled. Immediately they stopped in their tracks. When the bell was rung, it was never a good thing. Dong. Dong. Dong. When the bell rang three times, it meant somebody had died. He prayed there wouldn't be a fourth toll. And then they heard it; Dong. Somebody had been killed by the Wolf. And they knew, life was about to change, and most likely not for the better.

The people were panicking. The Wolf hadn't broken the peace in twenty years. So why attack now? And who had died? They followed the crowd, heading towards the fields. As he got closer, people began to give him pitying looks. At first he didn't notice, then he realized everyone was looking at him, whispering about him, and letting him pass, despite the fact that everyone else was clamoring to get a closer look at the fields. The crowd parted, and he saw his friends and his parents. His father was comforting his mother, who was crying. And then he saw it, the body. The body of his brother. Lucius was dead.


	5. Chapter 4: The Sorrow of Death

**The Boy in Red**

 _A Genderbent Fanfiction_

 _By Violindance7_

Chapter 4: The Sorrow of Death

* * *

Everything was the same. Everything had changed. The biscuits were drying on the table, the laundry still hung outside on the line. Everything was as they left it. But now there were people everywhere. So many people, crammed into their home. Taking up space, sucking out all the air. He was drowning in a sea of noise and nothing made sense. All he understood; his brother is dead. All other words meant nothing.

"He's in a better place."

"You still have the other boy."

"You're still young enough to have another."

Tensions were high. Though everyone expressed grief over the death of the boy, they had fear in the back of their minds. The Wolf had killed a villager for the first time in forever. What was stopping It from killing again?

Val sensed a shift in the air and looked towards the door. In came Henrietta, her father Adrien, and her grandmother, known simply as Madame Lazar. Madame Lazar was an imperious woman with the bearing of a queen and a perpetual air of disapproval over everything. Anyone could see her disdain as she patted Suzette's hand. Adrien shook Cesaire's hand in a show of respect, though Val saw it took all of Cesaire's strength to not break down. Henrietta, recognizing his need to be alone, simply curtsied. He wanted to resent her for her pity, but found he just couldn't feel anymore. Feeling he couldn't stay surrounded by people any longer, he climbed the ladder to his bed and lay down. Beside him, the empty space where his brother used to lie. If he closed his eyes, he could still smell the scent of oats and warm milk. Those smells always made him feel safe. Soon they would fade, and he would lose the last of his brother. Before he knew it, he was asleep, dreaming of memories of his brother.

* * *

When he woke up, it was dusk. The room below empty, though his family, friends, and the Lazars remained. Seeing her son awake, Suzette climbed the ladder and sat on the bed beside him, careful not to sit too much on Lucius' side.

"I do have good news for you, Val."

"I've been told I'm betrothed to Henrietta Lazar. Is it true?"

"Yes."

"I'm sorry mother but I hardly feel like discussing this now."

"You're right. There will be plenty of time later. Just, don't shut her out so easily. I know you want to be left alone, but you can't grieve forever or life will pass you by."

Looking down at Henrietta, he knew what his mother said was true. Henrietta was one of the kindest people he knew, and she was only concerned for him. But he just didn't love her in that way. "I barely know her."

"You'll get to know her. That's what marriage is. You know, I barely knew your father when I married him. I didn't love him, because I was in love with someone else. He was a higher class than me so I wasn't allowed to marry him. So I grew to love your father. And he gave me two beautiful boys. Not a day goes by that I'm not grateful for him, and though I often wonder about what if I had married the other man, I don't regret marrying your father. And you'll learn what I say is true one day."

Val remained silent, and Suzette took that as her cue to leave. Though nobody heard the exchange in the loft, everyone in the house felt the tension of the conversation. Adrien invited Cesaire to the tavern and invited Henrietta along. With a nod to the loft, she left with the two men. Val was descending the ladder when Madame Lazar cleared her throat.

"I'm curious to know how the boy could have been killed by the Wolf. Hadn't anyone seen anything? Weren't you with him Val?"

Annoyed with Madame Lazar's accusatory tone, Suzette defended his son saying, "Perhaps the beast lured Lucius into a trap."

Roxas turned to Priam. "I thought he was in the first boat with you."

"He was, but then he climbed out of the boat. He said he had to do something and then he ran into the woods."

"Why would he do that? We all heard that howl. What was so important he was willing to risk his life?"

"Maybe he meant to meet a girl. Wasn't he talking to someone a long time?"

Suzette snapped, "My son does not chase after girls."

Madame Lazar announced, "He was certainly interested in my granddaughter. He used to visit and just stare all the time. Why I wouldn't be surprised if he decided to kill himself after finding out she was engaged to his brother."

The air stilled as his friends looked at him with expressions of envy, shock, or confusion.

"Oops. I suppose I wasn't supposed to say that before he found out himself."

But Val's mind was already swimming with Madame Lazar's implications. He never knew Lucius felt that way towards Henrietta. And if Lucius already knew, what was stopping him from doing as Madame Lazar suggested.

"No matter, dear. Don't feel bad for your brother; Henrietta always had her eye on you. You are, well, were always the handsome one."

* * *

Wanting to get away from the attack on her sons, Suzette slipped outside to get a breath of fresh air. She was alone for a while until a dark figure approached with a candle. But when she saw who it was, she immediately dropped her smile. She still recognized the girl after all these years.

"I wish to pay my condolences."

Suzette took the candle. "Thank you. Now leave."

"I just want to pay my respects."

"No. You're here to see my son. I've lost one son today to the Wolf; I'm certainly not losing the other to the daughter of a thief and a murderer. He's all I have left and you can give him nothing."

"I am not my father. I'm a woodcutter and I know together we can be happy."

"If you are a woodcutter, you know that is a lie. Even two woodcutters' pay can barely support a household. You and I both know his life will be happier if he marries Henrietta Lazar."

"But…"

"If you truly love him, you'll let him go." With a breaking heart, Petra climbed down the ladder and walked away, while Suzette went back inside.

* * *

Petra eventually found her way to the tavern. She knew it would be difficult to let Val go, but at least alcohol would help. As she stepped into the tavern, she heard Father Auguste talking.

"I've summoned help. With luck, Father Solomon will be here tomorrow. He will slay the Wolf." The room quieted. Father Solomon was a legendary priest and hunter of supernatural creatures. It was said he travelled with a small army across the land to hunt and kill vampires, werewolves, and other evil creatures. Some of the villagers in the tavern were excited to hear of such an esteemed figure coming to their little village. Others scoffed at the idea.

Adrien stood up and said, "This is our problem and we can deal with the Wolf ourselves." The villagers looked at Cesaire, deciding he should be the one to decide what to do, since it was his son who died.

Cesaire said, "I'd rather not lose my vengeance to Father Solomon."

Henrietta chimed in, "Perhaps we should wait. Nobody here knows anything about hunting the Wolf." Petra barely stifled a laugh, and Henrietta tried to ignore it.

Adriene gave his daughter a disappointed look. "My daughter, we cannot afford to wait. For too long, we have lived at the mercy of the Wolf. I say we fight for our future. I say we take back our freedom and kill the beast!" With that, the villagers cheered, drowning out Father Auguste's protests.

* * *

A hunting party was quickly formed. Women helped their husbands into coats while the men all got their rifles and axes, imagining themselves being the hero who killed the Wolf. Hearing the noise, Val and his friends stepped outside and heard everyone shouting about the hunt for the Wolf. Immediately, Val scanned the crowd for his father. He knew the man could barely hit a tree trunk with an axe. Against the Wolf he would be helpless. While searching for his father, he found Petra. She was walking with her axe and seemed determined to join the hunt.

"You don't have to kill the Wolf."

"No, but it would feel nice to do so."

"Then promise you'll be careful."

"I'm sorry, but I can't do this anymore. You have to marry Henrietta."

Confused, he said, "But I'd rather marry you."

"I'd rather you marry her."

"You don't believe that." Saying nothing, she walked away. Confused, Val continued looking for his father. Eventually, he found his father near the front of the crowd, alongside Adrien.

"You're not going. You're drunk and can barely stand."

"I can and I will. It killed my son and I need to make It pay."

"Then I'm going with you."

"No."

"But I can help. You know I can do it and…"

"No!" Val was surprised by the sudden conviction in his father's voice. "I've lost one son today. I refuse to chance losing the other. And if something happens, I need to know your mother will be taken care of." Realizing his father had made up his mind, Val nodded. "Besides I need someone to be the heir of my bedpan." Chuckling at his own joke, he stumbled away.

Suddenly, he was pulled aside by Henrietta. "Don't worry; I'll look out for him. I know women shouldn't really be going, but my father is hardly objecting and I want to." She then handed him a copper cuff. He was set against even liking Henrietta, but her kindness forced him to smile. "My father taught me to make this, so I could prove to the man I love that I love him enough to make something with my own two hands." In spite of himself, he felt his heart warming towards her. No matter how cold he acted towards her, she always acted towards him with kindness and warmth. "You will be happy again. I promise I'll make sure of it."

As she walked away, Val knew that was the problem. He didn't want someone else to make him happy again. Not Henrietta. Not Petra. Nobody. He wanted to make himself happy again. He knew where the party was headed. He just had to do one thing. When he got home he said, "Why don't I make you some tea, mother?"


	6. Chapter 5: The Hunt

**The Boy in Red**

 _A Genderbent Fanfiction_

 _By Violindance7_

Chapter 5: The Hunt

* * *

The Wolf made its lair in Mount Grimmoor. Val silently followed the hunting party at a distance, determined to keep up without being seen. He was determined not to lose anyone else tonight. The party approached Grandmother's cottage, where she was waiting on the porch. Each person paid their respects to Grandmother, with Cesaire holding on until last. When he reached her, she embraced him and held his face in her hands.

"Promise me you'll be careful, my boy."

"Don't worry. The Wolf has no interest in me. I'm all gristle."

The party began to move towards the mountain. Grandmother was about to ascend the stairs when she noticed one of the men was straggling behind.

"Who's there?"

The figure halted, then stepped into the light of her lantern and lifted the hood.

"Val. What are you doing?"

"I'm going with them. He was my brother."

"Not in that thin little cloak. You don't have a torch with you and you'll freeze long before you get to the mountain. Come inside."

Val tried to protest but Grandmother was already dragging him into the cottage. Despite himself, he was glad for the warmth and the familiar setting of Grandmother's home built into a tree. Grandmother handed him a mug of tea.

"Drink. You'll need your sleep."

Val took the mug and immediately set it down. He knew Grandmother was trying to stop him and he needed to find a way to leave without her knowing. If only he could trick her into drinking her own tea. While he was thinking, Grandmother set down two bowls of stew, sprinkling some herbs in one of them and watching him to make sure he didn't see.

"Come. As my own grandmother used to say, 'All sorrows –'"

"'-are less with bread. It doesn't change the fact that he's gone."

Wordlessly, Grandmother left the room. Val remained unaware of anything as he stared into the fire until he felt Grandmother come up behind him and drape something over his shoulders. He looked down at a cloak as red as blood.

"Grandmother…"

"I made it for your wedding. I was going to wait until then, but I feel you need it now. Red repels demons and represents happiness in some villages across the sea."

"It doesn't feel like a wedding, more like an auction."

"There's another girl, isn't there?"

"There was someone. But maybe there isn't now. Either way I can't think about this all this soon."

He ate some of the stew, thinking of a way to get his revenge on the Wolf.

"How I wish you could follow your heart."

As he ate more, he realized the stew tasted differently. It was bitter, almost like sage. Like Grandmother's sage brew tea. He immediately rose, only for the world to spin.

"Dear you don't look well. Here, lie down on the bed."

He realized what Grandmother had done, but couldn't do anything about it. The world began to spin until everything was dark and he fell asleep.

* * *

As Val fell into the folds of sleep, the hunting party had reached the Wolf's lair, all boasting replaced with silence and fear. The cave became a maze of tunnels and caverns, with the group breaking off into factions with each fork in the road. They continued travelling, each man wondering if he would ever see the light of day again. Henrietta and Petra were sizing each other up, determined not to appear the weaker of the two. The party had divided down so many tunnels; their current group was no more than five people. They had reached another fork, and before she knew it, Henrietta was alone with her father. She kept thinking they would reach the center of the earth before they even found the Wolf. Suddenly, there was a scream. A man had been attacked. Then a gust of wind blew and every torch was extinguished. It all happened so fast. People were silenced mid-scream as their throats were slit. Everyone blindly tried to light their torches while making sure they weren't next to be slaughtered. As Henrietta tried to light her torch, she felt a blow to her head. When she came to, she heard a crunching sound next to her. As she reached for her sword, it made a small sound, but enough for the crunching to stop. Suddenly, she felt a swift wind go by her, and she was aware of two things. She was aware of the beating of her heart and the smell of Wolf fur and blood. She finally lit her torch, and found her father next to her on the ground, cold, lifeless, and ripped up gruesomely by the Wolf. Suddenly, she heard a noise behind her. A low snarl. She spun around and came face to face with the Wolf. It was gargantuan and slowly coming towards her. She held up her sword and tried to keep herself from trembling. She knew she should be angry. She was face to face with her father's killer. She should want to run it through with her sword, but all she could feel was fear. Time stood still. And then it leapt.

* * *

Val woke with a start. It was morning and he was surrounded by red. He rose slowly, barely aware of Grandmother bustling around making breakfast. After swallowing down a bowl of porridge, he left for the village. He returned home to find his mother grief stricken by the fire place.

"Mother. Is Papa…?"

"He's fine. The men are celebrating in the tavern. Did Grandmother make that cloak for you?"

Val was out the door before she could finish her question and heading towards the tavern. When he got there, the villagers were in the middle of a huge celebration. Scanning the crowd, he noticed four things. His father was in the middle of the revelry, drunk as a skunk. Petra was in the corner, with her head down. Henrietta was missing. And the Wolf's head stared at him atop a pike in the center of the tavern. For the first time in decades, the people were free. The fattest chickens no longer had to be sacrificed to please the beast. They no longer had to fear the dark. They no longer had to fear for their lives.

Val heard the bell of the corpse cart and looked outside. On the cart was the lifeless body of Adrien Lazar, followed by his mother, dressed in black and crying in distress. Behind Val, men stopped cheering and brought their hats to their chests.

Val heard Cesaire say, "To Adrien. For his sacrifice."

"To Adrien!"

Yes, freedom had come to the village of Daggerhorn, and it only cost two lives. As the men resumed their drinking, Val left. Regardless of whether or not Petra still cared for him, he needed to offer his condolences to Henrietta. As much as he did not want to marry her, she deserved to be shown kindness, the way she had for him.

It was hot inside the blacksmith shop, almost like the air itself was on fire. She was working on something by the anvil. Val was unsure of what to do, knowing very well there was no way he could tell her how he felt now that she was an orphan.

"Henrietta…your father was a brave man."

She was crying as she attacked the metal with the sledgehammer. "I was close enough to smell it. And I cowered before it. I almost wish the Reeve hadn't saved me. It was right in front of me and I froze. I should have done something! I should have saved him!"

"I've lost someone too. Please, just calm down."

Henrietta suddenly took the piece of metal and threw it into the fire. "Please, just leave."

Knowing she wanted to be alone, Val obeyed. As he walked outside, he saw his mother, sitting on a nearby log, looking at the second level of the house, probably where Adrien's body would lie until burial. She was twirling a copper bracelet in her hands. Similar to the one on his wrist. As he sat down next to her, he understood.

"That other man you told me about. The one you loved before father. He's the man lying dead in that house." She only nodded. "Does Papa know?"

"No." They sat in silence before she continued. "It wasn't that I couldn't love your father. It was just my heart already belonged to someone else."

As the words began to sink in, Father Auguste came rushing past, shouting, "He's arrived! Father Solomon is here!" As he spoke, a black carriage rolled into the square, sinister and elegant. Something alien had come to Daggerhorn.


	7. Chapter 6: The Wolf Slayer

**The Boy in Red**

 _A Genderbent Fanfiction_

 _By Violindance7_

Chapter 6: The Wolf Slayer

* * *

The town square quickly filled with people, surrounding the black carriage and a dozen soldiers atop large stallions as they pulled to a stop. One of them pulled a large iron elephant. Others pulled wagons full of gleaming weapons and other strange objects nobody had ever seen before. The crowd held its breath in anticipation, yet the soldiers remained still as statues.

Suddenly, the largest of them shouted, "Presenting his Eminence…"

The soldier to his right, who was equally large, continued, "Father Solomon."

The whole ceremony of the occasion was as impressive as royalty. The door to the carriage was opened. From his vantage point, Val could see two young girls. He could tell from their faces they'd witnessed horrors beyond what a child should face. Suddenly a figure leaned toward them.

"Do not cry my daughters. See all the children? See how scared they are? They are afraid because there is a monster in their midst, a Wolf. And someone has to stop it."

"Is it the beast that killed our mother?"

"It may very well be." He then hugged each of them and kissed each on the head. "Be good now." Then a grand figure in shining armor stepped out of the carriage. He wore elegant black gloves and a velvet cape, like a king, regal and commanding. He looked exactly as a Wolf slayer should. He then watched the carriage roll away. Once it was out of sight, he surveyed the crowd, as Father Auguste meekly stepped forward to speak with him.

"This is indeed an honor, your Eminence." He bowed low as Solomon gave him a curt nod.

"Fortunately, we were traveling through this region already and were able to get here quickly. I understand that you have lost one of your own. Who in attendance is the boy's family?" Suzette was frozen and Cesaire was nowhere to be seen, so Val silently stepped forward. Father Solomon approached him and laid a hand on his shoulder. "Do not worry. Enough horrors have been witnessed, enough suffering endured. We will find the beast that killed your brother. I am sorry for your loss." Val knew it was all theatrics, but he decided to nod his head anyway.

The Reeve moved forward and clapped a hand on Father Solomon's shoulder. "You and your men are too late. But you have arrived just in time to take part in our festival. As you can see, the Wolf has been dealt with." He beamed proudly as he pointed toward the pike with the Wolf's head.

Father Solomon removed the Reeve's hand with disdain and said, "That is no werewolf."

The people looked at each other, confused. The Reeve spoke up, "No disrespect Father, but we've lived with this beast for two generations and that is the beast. We know what we're dealing with."

"No disrespect, but you have no idea what you're dealing with. Let me tell you a story. It is of my first encounter with a werewolf. I will think back to the night I would do anything to forget. My wife's name was Penelope. She gave me two beautiful daughters. We were once a happy family in a small village, like this one. And like Daggorhorn, it was plagued by a werewolf. It was six autumns ago. The night was still, almost dead. The moon hung overhead, casting a glow on everything. My friends and I left the tavern late at night after some revelry. We decided to hunt the Wolf. We never thought we would find it, but we did. And it proved fatal. My friends were slaughtered, and I came face to face with the Wolf. But it let me go, and made me watch as my friends were ripped in half. Quickly, I hacked at it with my axe and it was gone. I had cut off one of its front paws, and decided to take it home as a souvenir. I arrived home and followed a trail of blood to a black form lying on our table. As I got closer, I realized with horror that it was my wife. Her hand was severed. And when I opened my sack, I found this in place of the Wolf's paw." A soldier came forward with a jeweled box. He opened it for all to see. Villagers came forward, and then drew back in terror. Val finally looked inside, and saw a woman's hand wearing a wedding band and lying in a bed of pearls and velvet. "I told my girls the werewolf had killed their mother. But that was a lie. _I_ killed her. Because she _was_ the Wolf. Do any of you know what it is like to kill the person you love the most? Well you may soon. Because when a werewolf dies, it returns to its human form." He then pointed at the wolf head on the pike. "That is just a common gray wolf. Your werewolf is still alive."

* * *

Father Solomon then walked towards the tavern. People quickly filed in after him and squeezed in to get a glimpse of the proceedings. Val suddenly felt the need to look up, and saw Claudette in the rafters, overlooking the scene. Val smiled and wished he had thought to do that. Two soldiers then set up a wooden box in the center of the tavern. Inside was a brass instrument with glass balls of different sizes in a strange spiral. A soldier lit a candle under the center one. Then Father Solomon addressed the room. "This device models the movement of the planetary bodies. As you can see, the moon is converging with the red planet, causing the moon to appear red, hence the blood moon which occurs every thirteen years. This is the only time a new werewolf can be created. During the week of the blood moon, the werewolf may pass his curse on with a single bite. Even in the daytime. During a normal moon, a Wolf bite will kill you. But during a blood moon, your very souls are in danger. The blood moon lasts for four days, so two nights are still left."

The Reeve tried to crack a smile. "As I've said, none of this matters. We are safe now. The Wolf is dead."

Father Solomon gave him a weary look, as if he were explaining to a child. "You've been deceived by the beast. Most likely, it lured a hungry wolf to its cave and trapped it there for you to find. It fooled you into believing it lived on Mount Grimmoor so you would never think to look anywhere else. For you see, the Wolf lives here. In this village. The Wolf is _one of you_. And it could be anyone. Your neighbor, your best friend, your wife." Without thinking, Val began to think of who he saw that night when Lucius died. His eyes passed over his parents, his friends, everyone he knew. And he was startled to realize they were doing the same. "Barricade the village. Post men at every gate along the town wall. No one leaves until we kill the Wolf."

People began to murmur with worry until the Reeve spoke up. "The Wolf is dead. Tonight, we celebrate."

"Go ahead and celebrate. We'll see who's right." Father Solomon strode out of the tavern. Val decided to follow him. He still had questions, and he figured Father Solomon was the best chance he had at getting answers. But as he got closer, Father Solomon suddenly stopped and put his hand on his sword. Val immediately stopped as Father Solomon whipped around.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you."

"No, no. What is it my child?"

"I need to know. My brother…Why did the Wolf wait until now to attack. Why did it attack him?"

"Only the Devil knows." He paused, expecting that answer to comfort Val. When he saw Val wasn't a simpleminded village boy, he gestured to somebody behind Val. "Speak with my scribe. He will show you things that will help you understand the unfathomable." He then strode away.

Val turned to see a scribe by his side, holding a quill and a leather bound tome. "Unfathomable, yes. Understand, probably not." He opened the book and showed many pages. They were beautiful illustrations of monstrous beings. Some seemed familiar, like trolls and goblins out of a storybook. Others were unfamiliar and clearly something out of a nightmare. There were creatures with bull heads and human torsos, human torsos and goat legs, half human half horse, a woman with eight eyes and fangs like a spider, women with fish tails, multi headed snakes, lions with wings, monstrous looking slugs and serpents, impossibly detailed insects he could never imagine and birds with human faces, fierce dragons, and so many other pages Val barely glanced at. Finally, the scribe found the page he was looking for. On it was a hulking werewolf. Exactly like the one that haunted this village. He thought of Lucius, and closed the book, unable to look any longer.

* * *

Later that afternoon, his family was walking towards the river. Val, Cesaire, Suzette, and Grandmother each carried a corner of the raft that would carry Lucius down the river. Henrietta and Madame Lazar stood by the river next to the raft that would carry Adrien's body. Henrietta avoided Val's gaze out of shame for her outburst earlier. Val silently considered how hard it must be for his mother to stare at her dead son and lover, side by side. Cesaire lit two torches and laid one on each raft, then pushed each into the river. The flames slowly engulfed the bodies as they drifted away. Soon, the rafts were pulled away into the distance, and all that was left were two twin pillars of black smoke. Silently, six people stood on the shore of a river, contemplating what was taken from all of them. A son, a father, a lover, a grandson, a friend, a brother. Val heard a shift next to him and saw Claudette paying her respects. She may not have lost a family member, but she lost her faith in the goodness in this world the day she found Lucius. Suzette trembled with tears, while Cesaire stood by her, grieving by her, but not together. _No parent should outlive their child_. As Val thought this, he put his arms around Henrietta and held her as she released her tears into his chest. He held her until she pulled away and followed her grandmother back to the village. After embracing his parents and Grandmother, he walked along the river. His brother was gone. The river still ran. The plants still grew. The clouds still drifted. His brother was dead, but life still went on.

Eventually, he made his way back to the village. As he got nearer, he noticed the barricade was already up. The guards let him through, but Val felt dread as the gates closed behind him. He was trapped inside. He no longer cared about the Wolf or the village. There was an outside, and now Val could never be a part of it. Suddenly, the bushes next to him rustled. A wolf with a man's face jumped out of the bushes and was rushing towards him.


	8. Chapter 7: The Celebration

**The Boy in Red**

 _A Genderbent Fanfiction_

 _By Violindance7_

Chapter 7: The Celebration

* * *

The man in the wolf costume jangled Val's nerves. Val forgot that the celebration was happening. Val wandered into the square. In the center was an effigy of the Wolf, made of sticks and debris and burning like an inferno. The blood moon hung above it, bright and foreboding. A stage had been erected to hold a band playing very loudly. Despite the amount of food cooked for the celebration, all Val could smell was rotten garbage and sweat that made his stomach turn and his head ache. Val noticed Solomon and his men were nowhere to be seen, while people danced wildly around him. In this sea of people, he felt even more alone.

Priam ran up to Val. "You came! I thought you'd probably not want to celebrate. But the Wolf is dead and we deserve to be happy."

Val suddenly had an eerie thought. "The Wolf's not gone, is it?"

"What makes you think that? You heard them all, the Wolf is gone."

"But Father Solomon-"

"Doesn't know what he's talking about. Now come on!" As Priam dragged him towards the crowd, Val continued to wonder why everyone was fooling themselves. They were celebrating because they didn't want to face the possibility that the Wolf was still alive. As Priam joined in the dancing, Henrietta walked towards him.

"This all seems wrong. To be celebrating, so soon after Lucius and father were killed."

Val suddenly spotted Petra and Ross dancing with each other. Seductively, they grinded against each other, holding each other closer and clutching as if they'd never let go. Suddenly, Val felt hot with anger and said, "No. Let them celebrate."

"Now hardly seems the time."

"You heard them. The Wolf is dead. So move on." Immediately, he regretted his words. Henrietta was the only person who understood how he felt and he attacked her. He turned to apologize, but she was gone. Looking around for her, he spotted his father passed out in the mud and a man in a wolf costume standing over him.

"I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow your house down!" The crowd laughed as the man beat Cesaire with his tail and blew in his face.

Val walked over, grabbed a piece of firewood, and beat the man with it while shouting, "Get off him!" The crowd backed away and dispersed as Val helped Cesaire get up. He immediately smelled alcohol and felt a pang of misery. Lucius would've helped him take care of their father. Now he had no one. He let Cesaire lean on him while he slowly dragged him towards home.

Cesaire flicked the vomit off of his shirt and slurred, "Just flick this off and I'll be fit to see the pope." As they reached the steps of their home, Val set him down on the ground. He knew Cesaire wouldn't be able to handle the ladder. Cesaire then put his hand to Val's face and murmured, "You're my good boy. Now, gwanback anhavfun." Cesaire passed out, and Val figured this was the best he could do, and headed back to the square.

Val walked back and stopped at the sight of Ross and Petra. Somehow, they managed to dance even closer then he last saw them. They were practically fornicating right in the middle of the square.

Priam walked next to him. "That bastard. He knew I had my eye on her. Are you all right Val?"

"Yeah."

"Part of me feels like we should stop him. I mean he's pretty much ruining his reputation by dancing with _her_ anyway."

"No. Let him do what he wants." At that moment, he caught sight of Henrietta. She was staggering towards Ross and Petra. Suddenly, she grabbed Petra by the shoulder and slapped her across the face.

"What the hell?!"

"You left us. In the caves."

Petra was clearly trying to hold her temper. "Seems someone can't hold her drink."

"And now my father is dead." This time, she clenched her hand into a fist and punched. Petra sprawled backwards, but she quickly regained her balance and pulled out a knife from her boot. She rammed into Henrietta and held it to her throat. Val quickly leapt forward and held Petra's wrist while other people helped pull her off of Henrietta.

Petra pointed her dagger at Henrietta. "I don't care about your issues. Stay away from me, or else." She then walked away. While others tended to Henrietta, Val followed Petra into a dark alley.

"Leave me alone."

"You're bleeding."

"So what? You already have somebody, why don't you care for her?"

"I love you, Petra."

She paused, then said, "You know I can't give you the life she can. I never will."

"You think I need a life like that?"

"I'm wrong for you. I'll hurt you."

"So what?" He moved closer to her, until her back was to the wall. And then he kissed her. She tried to pull away. But the longer they kissed, the harder it was to fight, until she gave in. Suddenly, Val felt like they were being watched. He pulled her towards the granary. They continued where they left off. He pushed himself further against her, feeling every inch of her body. He then pulled her to the ground.

* * *

The heat radiated off their bodies and he could barely breathe. She then whispered, "The only life I want is with you." They clothed themselves, and Petra left. Val waited for a few minutes to avoid suspicion, then got up to leave. As he did, he felt the sensation of being watched again, and looked to his left. A crow cawed at the window and flew away into the night.

On the other side of the window, Henrietta felt her heart break. She had come to the granary to apologize to Val for her behavior. But to see him, with _her_ , was too much. She let her tears fall, and silently crept away.

* * *

Fueled by an animal ferocity, Val rejoined the crowd, ready to join in all of the vices presented before him. Val saw Roxas watching a few fire walkers walking across a bed of coals. Feeling invincible, Val took Roxas' hand and leapt over the coals. They both shrieked and laughed as they continued to run. Val felt weightless and free. The world no longer felt real. The world was spinning around him.

Then suddenly, his eyes fell on a dark alley. He couldn't see anything. Except two points of light. Like a pair of eyes.

"Val? What's the matter with you?"

Suddenly, Val thought back to a time when he was seven. When his family had to sacrifice a goat to the Wolf, and Val had crept out to save the goat. But when he reached the altar, the Wolf was already there. And it turned. And it saw him. And its eyes saw through him. And it recognized him. And he recognized the eyes looking into his from the alley.

And then it roared. And it leapt over their heads into the town square. And it leapt towards the Reeve who pulled out his knife. And in an instant, it had leapt past the Reeve. And a line of red blood formed at his throat, and the Reeve dropped dead. The people panicked and scattered. One by one, the Wolf struck down random people. Men, women, children. Any and all were slaughtered. Yet Val noticed some villagers in cloaks approach the Wolf. Then the disguises were thrown back and weapons were raised. The pair of captains gave Val and Roxas a smile and said, "Run."

At the sound of the raised weapons, the Wolf pricked its ears, ready to face the new threat. It snarled and deftly dodged the multiple weapons. It then leapt away. Val noticed the scribe, scratching away on his parchment to capture every detail. The scribe foolishly moved closer to the Wolf, and paid the price. The Wolf pricked its ears and turned towards the scribe. The scribe held his quill up, and then the Wolf slashed his throat. The Wolf then leapt away to kill more people. Val hurried forward to save the book, and was nearly trampled by a large stallion. Father Solomon sat astride it. He shouted, "Get to the church! The Wolf cannot cross onto holy ground!" His silver armor gleamed in the firelight as he rode towards the Wolf, which was busying itself with the soldiers attacking it with different types of weapons. Val knew he had to get to the church, yet he couldn't look away. The soldiers had caught the Wolf in a trap with four whips each wrapped around a leg and preventing the Wolf from running. But the Wolf pulled hard, and broke free. Val looked at Father Solomon, and saw uncertainty in his eyes.

One of the soldiers limped towards Father Solomon. "This beast is stronger than any we've faced before."

"Have faith. God is stronger." Father Solomon then charged towards it, screaming "God is stronger!" The Wolf roared and leapt towards him. It attacked the stallion, sending Father Solomon flying. He landed in the coals of the bonfire. Archers from the rooftops then shot at the Wolf with crossbows. The beast dodged the silver arrows and leapt over the rooftops. It evaded the bowmen and disappeared into the night.

Father Solomon rose from the coals, resurrected. He roared, "I told you! I warned you!"

* * *

"Claudette! Where are you?" Val and Roxas had gone to the church, but Claudette wasn't there. Now they were running through the village, praying they wouldn't find her amongst the dead. And praying they wouldn't find the Wolf. They turned into Dye Makers' Alley.

Among the pungent vats of dye and flowers, they didn't find Claudette. But when they turned to walk out of the alley, they heard a snarl. And through the smoke, the Wolf emerged, showing dagger-like teeth caked in blood. They turned to run, but there was nowhere to run. There were only three high walls of storage towers, and a Wolf blocking their path to safety.

As it moved closer, Val stared into its eyes. The Wolf did not blink as they breathed in unison. The world went quiet, except for Roxas breathing heavily in terror beside him. Then it spoke.

"Did you think you could outrun me?" It was a deep voice. Not quite human, and not quite animal. It was the voice of the Devil.

"You can speak?"

"All that matters is that you can understand me, Val."

"How do you know my name?"

Roxas whispered, "What are you doing?" The Wolf snapped at Roxas, then turned back to Val.

"We are alike, you and I."

"No. You're a murderer. A monster. I'm nothing like you."

"No? Don't you wish to be free? To be free of this village? To roam the world with nobody to tell you what you can and cannot do? You wish for what I have. You're a hunter deep down, I can smell it on you now." Val tried to not let the surprise show on his face. The Wolf had stated everything Val wanted deep down in his soul. Did the Wolf say these things to Lucius before he killed him?

"What big eyes you have."

"The better to see you with, my dear." And all of a sudden, the Wolf's eyes changed. They lost their golden shine and animal ferocity, and became human. "I see what lies in your heart. You want to escape Daggorhorn. You want freedom. To race through a dark forest, blood awakened, closing in on the kill. To live without fear, ties, or bonds. I can give that to you. All you have to do, is come away with me."

Val's mind suddenly started racing. He'd heard those words before. But before he could remember, the Wolf's ears pricked as Val heard the sound of shouts and clanking armor. "Father Solomon will stop you."

"Father Solomon doesn't know what he's dealing with. Come away with me, or I will kill everyone you love. Starting with your friend here." It suddenly made a lunge for Roxas. But before he reached him, an arrow flew through the smoke and nearly hit the Wolf in the jaw. Realizing it had no time, it turned to Val. "I'll return for you before the blood moon wanes. You had best have your answer when we meet again." The Wolf then heaved itself over the wall.

Father Solomon and his men rushed forward, and realized they could not scale the wall. His face was contorted with rage and pain. Silently, he led them to the church.

Roxas protested, "I have to find my sister."

The Captain replied, "If he is alive, you will find her inside." He then slammed the gates behind them.

"Don't worry Roxas. I'm sure she's fine." He tried to pat him on the shoulder with encouragement, but Roxas immediately backed away from him in fear.

"You talked to the Wolf."

"Of course I did. It was talking to us."

"No, it was growling." Suddenly, his eyes grew wider. "It, talked to you?"

Suddenly, Val realized what Roxas was saying. Only Val understood the Wolf. Such a talent would surely brand him as a witch or a Satanic worshiper. But why had the Wolf only been able to talk to him?

"Please, don't tell anyone."

"Of course." They then walked towards the church building in silence.

That night, neither of them slept well. One continued to worry for his sister. The other thought about the Wolf's eyes. There was something about them that was, familiar.


	9. Chapter 8: The Search for Evil

**The Boy in Red**

 _A Genderbent Fanfiction_

 _By Violindance7_

Chapter 8: The Search for Evil

* * *

The church gates were opened and the people were free to go home. But as they walked out, all that could be seen was carnage. The soldiers had been busy scraping away the charred and bloody bodies away while Father Solomon directed them. Father Auguste walked up to Father Solomon.

"I am sorry. We never should have doubted you." The crowd flocked to Father Solomon, waiting for his reaction. The people now belonged to him.

"I've never seen a beast as strong as this. The curse is hereditary, and each generation is more potent than the one before, but I've never seen one from such a long bloodline. I don't want to just kill this beat. Not anymore. I want to make it suffer." Silently, he held a finger to his burned face. Then he surveyed the people. "I hope you enjoyed your celebration."

Suddenly, the Captain gave a cry. The crowd parted as Father Solomon walked towards the Captain. He was bent over his brother, who was still breathing but badly wounded and clutching his leg in agony. Father Solomon then inspected the leg, and saw a bite mark.

"A man bitten, is a man cursed." The Captain looked ready to protest as Father Solomon drew his sword, then he closed his eyes and turned his head as Father Solomon plunged it into the brother's chest. The crowd gasped, but Father Solomon turned, unaffected. "Now, it is time to be serious. There will be no more celebrating until the Wolf is found in its human form. And destroyed. By whatever means necessary. It could be any of you. Which is why we will look everywhere. The signs will be subtle. Isolation, witchcraft, black arts, strange scents. Your homes will be searched. Your secrets will be brought to light. If you're innocent, you have nothing to fear. But if you're guilty, you will be destroyed."

The reaction from the crowd ranged from approval to concern. Some were willing to be led by this man. Others were clearly scared of this man. Val wanted to speak up, but clearly there was nothing to be done. So he walked home.

* * *

When he got home he found Cesaire and Grandmother standing by Suzette, who was lying down on her bed. Her chest and neck were covered in sweat, but his eyes were immediately drawn to her face. Suzette's face had been slashed by the Wolf. It was a miracle she was alive, but it was clear she was far from okay. For the moment, the blood had dried and clumped over her cheek. Cesaire and Grandmother looked up and immediately hugged Val. They stood there for a few moments, then Val knelt by his mother and kissed her on the forehead to let her know he was alright, though deep down he knew, none of them would be alright any time soon.

A few minutes later, they heard the pounding of boots mounting the ladder and a pounding fist at the door. Val cracked open the door only to find Petra on the other side. "You shouldn't be here."

"We're all in danger. Val we need to leave. Get your things, and come away with me."

There they were, those words again. _Come away with me_. But who said them first. The Wolf had said them. But hadn't Petra said them a few days ago? A few days ago before his brother was murdered? When the Wolf first attacked? When Petra first came?

"I can't. My mother's been injured. I'm sorry." He then closed the door, not wanting to think anymore. Stupid Father Solomon. It was his paranoia that was making him think Petra was the Wolf. But it couldn't be her. Could it?

As he looked up, he saw Grandmother leaning over Suzette as she changed the bandages. Had he ever noticed how long Grandmother's nails were? Almost like talons, in claw-like hands. Without even thinking, he slipped his knife out of his pocket and hid it in his cuff. He continued to watch Grandmother as she held tea to Suzette's lips. He never realized that Grandmother's tea is a weak poison. Poison that left one helpless. All one had to do was increase the dosage and it could send you to sleep permanently. Suddenly, Grandmother looked up and saw Val staring at her.

"Something's wrong. What is it darling? Do you want to tell me?"

"The Wolf. It talked to me."

Immediately, Grandmother tensed. "And you understood it?" She backed away, towards the table, and slowly let her hand grope behind her back for a knife.

"Just as clearly as I understand you." As Grandmother's hands closed around a pair of scissors, Val slowly let his fingers curl around the knife.

They stood silently for a few moments before Grandmother broke the silence. "Whom have you told about this?"

"Only Roxas knows. He won't tell anyone. He won't even talk to me about it."

"The Wolf chose not to kill you…" Suddenly, Val felt certain the Wolf was in the house at that moment. "…Because it certainly could have."

"I think it wants me alive."

At that moment, the wind blew in from the window, bringing with it the scent of pine. Immediately, both felt silly for their suspicions. Grandmother let go of the scissors and wiped her hand on her apron, trying to rub the guilt away. Val immediately felt ashamed for doubting this woman he had always loved.

"But why you?"

"I don't know. But it said if I don't go with it, it will kill everyone I love. It's already killed Lucius…" Grandmother immediately moved towards him and hugged him. "It's coming for me. Before the blood moon wanes." Grandmother, unsure of what to do or say, began to make tea. "What happened to Lucius was my fault. The Wolf is here because of me." Grandmother was silent, because she could not deny it.

* * *

After a cup of tea, Val left to get water. On the way to the well, he saw so many homes ransacked, with personal possessions tossed into the snow without a second thought. At the well, he ran into Roxas and Marguerite. "Has Claudette come home yet?"

Roxas quickly walked away with two buckets, acting as if he hadn't seen or heard him. Marguerite answered, "Nobody's seen her." Val was stung. Roxas knew Val cared about Claudette as much as he did, yet it was as if Roxas really though he did belong to the Devil.

Val filled his buckets and turned to find Henrietta walking towards him. Her eyes were dark and vacant. "I'm breaking off the engagement."

"Breaking it off?"

"Yes. I saw you. With Petra."

"What?"

"In the granary."

Immediately, Val wanted to crawl into a hole and die. He knew Henrietta had loved him for so long. She stood by him without pressuring him to love her back. And he repaid her by loving Petra, someone who swept in after being gone for years and took without a thought for anyone else's happiness.

"I won't force you to marry me. I know you don't want to be with me."

Silently, Val took the copper band off his wrist and handed it to her. "I'm so sorry. I wish I could have loved you." He stood there as she walked away, feeling horrible.

* * *

Suddenly, he heard shouts from the granary. A crowd was forming and heading for the granary. Inside, Father Solomon and his men were all brandishing weapons and pointing them towards the ceiling. Val looked up and saw Claudette perched on a rafter. She was clinging on for dear life, looking more scared than Val had ever seen her. Roxas was being held back by the soldiers, yelling at one of the bowmen to not shoot. Val tried to catch Solomon's gaze.

"I saw her at the festival while the Wolf attacked. It wasn't her. She's not the Wolf."

Solomon ignored him and continued shouting. "I want her interrogated. She may not be the Wolf but she speaks in tongues. She is possessed by the Devil."

"She's not evil! I know her!"

"Better than I knew my wife?" Val had no response to that. Then Father Solomon pulled out a tarot card. "This was found by your brother. Can you tell me it is his and not the girl's?"

"She's different. That doesn't make her guilty."

"If she were innocent, why does she run from us?" He then turned to the bowman. "Get her down from there." Two soldiers began to scale the granary. Roxas screamed at them to not hurt her while Marguerite cried on a haystack for her baby girl. The soldiers eventually caught Claudette and dragged her away as she screamed. At that moment, Val felt utterly helpless for the first time since he was seven.

* * *

While Claudette was dragged to a barn, Father Solomon's men began to prepare a large metal elephant. Father Auguste immediately felt dread at the sight of it. Father Solomon walked towards the girl, who was chattering and muttering incessantly.

"Tell me the name of the Wolf."

Claudette continued to chatter in fear. Solomon nodded and Claudette was dragged to the elephant. A door in it was opened and Claudette was unceremoniously thrown in. The door was then shut and Solomon walked towards the elephant. "Tell me the name." There was no reply, so Solomon nodded. A fire was lit beneath the metal elephant. Soon, thrashing and howling could be heard inside the elephant.

Father Auguste watched in horror as Solomon said, "Listen to how she sings of her love of the Devil."

"She can barely speak. How can she be expected to tell you the name of the Wolf?"

"What men of the cloth do, we do for the greater good. It is our burden to rid the world of its evils."

"But what good can possibly come from this?"

"I killed my wife to protect my children. Our methods of pleasing God are flawed, but such is the business of werewolf hunting. You'd best develop a stomach for it." He then turned to the soldiers. "Do not release her until she speaks the Wolf's name." He then left the barn.

Father Auguste silently prayed for the child. He knew evil had descended onto Daggorhorn, but he began to question if it was in the form he first thought.

* * *

Father Solomon was eating his midday meal in the tavern when one of the soldiers brought in the girl's brother. "Yes, my child."

"I've come to bargain for my sister's release." Roxas meekly set down a few silver coins.

Father Solomon laughed at the sight. "What do you mean me to do with this? It would hardly buy me a half-dozen eggs or a loaf of bread. Thank you for the gift, but tell me, what have you come to bargain with?"

"I can work for you. I can become a soldier or a slave. Please."

He laughed again. "A scrawny village boy such as yourself? My slaves would laugh at you right now." The soldier began to drag Roxas out of the tavern.

"Wait." Roxas knew his actions would haunt him forever, but he had no choice. "If you spare my sister, I'll give you the name of someone who has consorted with the Devil. Someone who has spoken with the Wolf."

Father Solomon held up his hand to tell the soldier to stop. "Now that is worth something."


	10. Chapter 9: The Human Sacrifice

**The Boy in Red**

 _A Genderbent Fanfiction_

 _By Violindance7_

Chapter 9: The Human Sacrifice

* * *

Cesaire was keeping watch by the fire while Suzette rested in bed. He kept nodding off, slumped slack-jawed on the stool, an axe dormant across his lap. It looked too big for him, as if the past few days had taken too much from him. Val took up the watch, looking at the village outside. It looked sadder. The people looked at each other with mistrustful eyes. Eyes looking for anything akin to witchcraft. The soldiers went house to house. They tore the door down, and spilled everything outside for everyone to see. Nobody was safe.

As Val began to nod his head, the door pounded, causing father and son to jump. Val pictured large claws tearing the door apart and lunging at him. Instead, two soldiers charged in. Immediately, they began to tear open drawers and cupboards. They huddled by Suzette, hoping the soldiers would finish their search and leave them in peace. Instead, they shoved Cesaire aside and punched Val on the side of his head. Before the pain even registered, they placed shackles on his wrists and began to drag him into the street. All he heard was his father's groans of pain as one of the soldiers beat him up. His mother never even woke up.

* * *

"Tell them what you told me."

Roxas was seated directly across from Val in the center of the tavern. Solomon had converted the tavern into a court, and court was now in session, with him as judge, jury, and executioner. Val tried to look Roxas in the eye, but Roxas refused to look anywhere but at the wall above his head. Val was tied to the chair for all to see. Soldiers blocked every exit and every eye was focused on him.

Roxas continued shakily, "He wears a red cloak. The Devil's color. He prefers isolation. And he can talk to the Wolf. I've seen it with my own eyes." Val could tell Roxas was ashamed to talk. His face grew redder in the light of the fire as the crowd gasped. Val knew he should hate his friend, yet all he felt was pity that he had to testify.

"Do you deny the allegations?"

"No. I don't deny it." The crowd buzzed with talk. Val scanned the sea of faces. He saw Priam, silently contemplating while his father nervously chewed his fingernails. Henrietta was seated next to her grandmother, looking worried. Ross was behind her, only paying attention to her and not what was going on. Petra stood alone in the back of the room. His neighbors' faces ranged between disbelieving and gleeful.

"And what was the nature of this conversation?"

"The Wolf said that you don't know what you're dealing with." He fought to suppress a smirk as Solomon's face slowly reddened. Then, Solomon smiled.

"I'm sure it did. But what else did it say?"

"It promised to leave Daggorhorn in peace. But only if I leave with it."

For the first time, Roxas looked into his eyes. A heavy quiet overtook the room at the gravity of those words.

Eagerly, Solomon moved closer to Val. "The Wolf is someone in this village who wants you, Val. Do you know who it is? I'd think very hard if I were you." Val sat in silence. Taking that as his answer, Father Solomon addressed the crowd. "It wants him, not you. So I say we give it what it wants."

Henrietta leapt to her feet. "We cannot give him to the Wolf. That's human sacrifice!"

"We've all made sacrifices," Madame Lazar spoke up. Henrietta looked around for support, but there was none. Nothing united the people like banding against someone.

Father Solomon nodded to the soldiers, who came forward to take Val to the jail. The villagers filed out, but Father Auguste stayed behind.

"I though you came to kill the Wolf, not appease it."

"I have no intention of appeasing it. The boy is merely the bait for a trap."

"Oh. Of course." He gave Val a comforting smile and then the sign of the cross before departing.

* * *

Outside, the villagers had lined the streets to get a look at the boy who made a deal with the Devil. Amongst the jeering voices, Madame Lazar's rang the loudest and clearest.

"The first victim was his brother. The second was his fiancée's father. And don't forget his poor mother, scarred for life. If the boy is not marked by the Devil, then how do you explain it? He is in the center of it all."

Val ignored her, but noticed Grandmother hadn't. His father and Grandmother had been walking home and had stopped when Madame Lazar had spoken. Now, Grandmother was clearly shaken by Madame Lazar's words. Cesaire tugged at Grandmother's sleeve.

"Don't listen to her."

"No. The center of it all." Cesaire looked concerned, but only nodded and headed home to care for Suzette. Grandmother moved closer to catch every word.

"I've tried to talk Henrietta out of her feelings for him. But there's no hope for her. She's lost her senses, almost as if she were bewitched by black magic."

* * *

Meanwhile, Henrietta searched for Petra and found her watching the proceedings from a dark alley. Petra straightened waiting for a fight.

"Why didn't you defend him? I thought you cared for him!"

Petra shushed her and pulled her into the alley while looking frantically around. "I do care. But I'm trying to be smart about it. In case you haven't noticed all of the soldiers."

Realizing she was right, she admitted defeat. "So you are going to rescue him." As much as it pained her, she knew she needed Petra's help to save him. Despite everything, she still loved him. "I'll help you."

"I'm not that desperate for help."

"Oh really? Then what's your plan?" Petra shifted her weight. "You don't have one, do you? Guess what, the blacksmith shop is mine now. I've got the tools and skills you need to succeed. Admit it."

Petra didn't like it. She didn't like admitting that she didn't have a plan. She didn't like admitting that she needed help. And she didn't like Henrietta's smug face. But she hated the idea of leaving Val to the Wolf.

"Fine. But if you're the Wolf, I'll chop off your head and piss down the hole." She then held out her hand.

Taking it, Henrietta responded, "And I'll do the same for you. With pleasure."

* * *

Roxas felt hollow inside as he approached the Captain. "Where's my sister? Father Solomon told me she would be released."

"Released. Yes, I believe she was."

He turned towards the back of the tavern, and Roxas followed. Roxas looked around, but didn't see his sister, or the giant elephant she was held in. All that was there was a wheelbarrow and a lot of crows flying around and cawing. The captain shooed away the crows and turned the wheelbarrow towards him. There was a blanket, covering whatever was in the wheelbarrow. Roxas shook his head, backing away. Then he saw a hand protruding from under the blanket, and he fell to his knees in disbelief. The Captain uncovered the body. Claudette's skin was as white as the blanket, except where it blistered on her hands and feet. Her face was bruised and swollen.

At that moment, it had hit Roxas. He had betrayed one of his best friends. He had sunk to a depth he had never imagined a few days earlier. And it had never occurred to him that something so horrible could occur. Life had never been perfect, but it had been bearable. People never had to betray their friends so they could save sisters who were already dead. Maybe the Wolf was bad, but evil had never entered Daggorhorn until the Wolf slayer came.


	11. Chapter 10: The Great Escape

**The Boy in Red**

 _A Genderbent Fanfiction_

 _By Violindance7_

Chapter 10: The Great Escape

* * *

Two days ago, he had been happy. His brother and friends had only cared about having fun. There was no need to worry about a ravenous Wolf or a crazed wolf slayer. Now his brother was dead and his friends had forsaken him. And for all he knew, he would die that night. He was in a damp, dark prison cell. No one had spoken up for him, except a girl he threw away like a rag doll. He was alone. He even began to contemplate if dying would be such a terrible fate. Suddenly, he heard a rustling in the darkness, and Grandmother's face appeared before him.

"Tell me darling, is there anything you need?"

"No." Val knew the guard was probably listening and knew Grandmother had risked enough to come here. He knew he couldn't risk her being caught doing something guilty.

"I've been thinking. The Wolf never used to attack in the open like it did at the festival. Why start now?"

"Maybe the moon…"

"No. It wants you. And it wanted your brother. Maybe it killed randomly at the festival to hide the fact that the first murder wasn't random. But this started with Lucius."

Val doubted Grandmother's logic. "No. The Wolf didn't choose Lucius. He must have offered himself to the Wolf. He loved Henrietta, and my friends think he overheard mother and father discussing my engagement, so suicide was the easy way to deal with it."

"We both know that's not Lucius. He wouldn't go that far." They both heard the clanking of the keys, so Grandmother leaned close to the bars and whispered, "There's more to this story and I intend to figure it out." And then she was gone as the guard dragged her away, and Val was alone in the dark once more, contemplating what Grandmother was talking about.

* * *

Across the village, Cesaire was feeding the chickens when Petra stopped rolling a wheelbarrow along the road in front of the yard. There was a wooden barrel in the wheelbarrow.

"I'm going to save your son. And then I intend to marry him. I wish to have your blessing, but I can live without it."

She expected no response. Instead, Petra was shocked when Cesaire stepped towards her and shook her hand, then embraced her. Then, the woodcutter continued to feed the chickens while the stranger continued to wheel her wheelbarrow, as if nothing had just transpired.

* * *

An hour after a father and future daughter-in-law shook hands, Grandmother entered the blacksmith shop, finding Henrietta hard at work on a project.

"Hello Henrietta."

"We're closed."

"I just wanted to thank you for speaking up today. That was very brave of you."

"I only said what I felt."

"Yes. I know how hard it must be to stand up for someone you have no obligation to care about."

"He loves someone else. But I still care about him."

"Like Lucius felt about you?" Henrietta froze. "It seems he would have done anything for you. Maybe even meet you on a Wolf night, if you asked him to?"

"I beg your pardon?" Then clarity set in. "You think I'm the Wolf. Are you accusing me of murder?"

"I'm not saying anything. I just want to find the truth."

Henrietta was about to say something, but then she stopped. She sniffed the air, and widened her eyes. "It's you. I can smell it on you now."

"What are you talking about?"

"The night my father died, I smelled the Wolf. And I can smell that musk on you at this exact moment. Tell me, where were you when your grandson died?"

"I read until I fell asleep." Yet at that moment, Grandmother smelled it. The smell Henrietta was smelling, and a smell she knew very well.

"And then what?" Grandmother was silent, lost in memory. "You don't remember, do you?"

"No. I remember perfectly." And then she was gone.

* * *

Grandmother walked back to her cabin, as she worked it out. It all fit. She just needed to confirm one thing. She entered her home, and opened the chest she hid under her bed. She took it out, and sniffed. And she smelled it. It was true. Her fears were correct. And then the world went black.

* * *

In the dusk, the roads were nearly empty. There was just a figure, pushing a wheelbarrow around the square. Suddenly, the figure was approached by the Captain and two soldiers. The figure ran, but the soldiers were swift. They tackled the figure to the ground, and carried it away.

"Sorry. We don't want any trouble from the witch's family." And they carried the boy's father away, unaware of the blacksmith's girl watching from her shop and the thief's daughter watching from the alley. They were also unaware of the smell of lamp oil in the air.

* * *

The door to the cell was opened and his red cloak was thrown at him.

"Put it on." He put it on, and was shackled as his father was brought in to take his place.

"Val. I'm sorry. I tried to protect you and Lucius…"

"It's all right, Papa. You taught us to be strong."

"Stay strong." And then Val was dragged out.

* * *

A mask of iron was put on his head. He could barely see through it, let alone breathe through it. But it didn't have to be functional. It just had to be a wolf mask to humiliate him. He staggered through the village, like a lamb led to slaughter. The villagers lined the road, scared of the devil worshiper and happy it wasn't them. He was chained to a post while Father Auguste blessed him and prayed for his soul. A few people had gathered around the square, but the soldiers were shooing them away. Hours passed and the dusk became night. All he could do was wait.

Across the square, Solomon was perched at the top of the granary tower. Soldiers were hidden around the square, weapons poised and ready to destroy the Wolf. Yet nobody noticed the dark figure at the bottom of the granary tower, looking for something in the snow. All of a sudden, the figure dropped their torch into the snow, and the ground erupted into flames. The flames shot across a trail of lamp oil. The granary caught fire as a line of fire became a web of flames across the square. The smoke soon filled the square, and Solomon roared at his men to find the culprit while he tried to keep his eye on the boy.

Val was only aware of a blinding light coming through the slits of the mask and the smell of smoke when he heard someone whisper into his ear, "I'm going to get you out of here." Henrietta was behind him, using skeleton keys to pick the locks that held him to the post.

While Henrietta was busy freeing Val, Petra had tried to set the barn on fire to further distract Solomon when a guard found her. While she fought him off, Solomon was racing towards the altar, aware that someone was trying to free the boy.

"Kill the boy."

A bowman aimed for Val, but at the last minute, Father Auguste pushed him away while shouting "Run." The arrow missed, and Father Solomon saw red. The next thing he knew, his sword was inside Father Auguste. Father Auguste meekly gaped at him as he fell to the ground. Father Solomon then cleaned his sword and turned to the altar, to find the boy and his rescuer were gone. Two soldiers approached him, carrying a girl with them.

"This one started the fire."

"Throw her in the elephant. We'll light it later. Right now, we have bigger fish to fry."

* * *

"Come on. Petra's meeting us with horses by the wall."

They were running through the alleys, trying to stay out of sight. Val was trying to make sense of everything, when Henrietta stopped at the end of Dye Makers Alley. Petra was nowhere to be seen, and immediately, Val caught sight of a knife hanging from Henrietta's belt.

"Where's Petra?"

"I don't know. She should be here by now. That was the plan."

Val slowly edged towards her as his thoughts ran a mile a minute. Grandmother wasn't wrong. It would be easy for Henrietta to lure Lucius into a trap. It would be clever of the Wolf to come under the guise of a rescue. And here they were, in the place the Wolf had claimed him the night before. He slowly and carefully took the knife off of her belt, and raised it above his head while she looked down the alley. Then he heard it. The Wolf's growl. Far away, and not in that alley.

She turned, and he immediately lowered his hand. Shamefully, he handed it back to her, as he heard the growling get louder while the shouts of the soldiers got closer. Then he had a terrible thought.

"When was the last time you saw Petra?"

Henrietta did not answer, and began to pry at the boards that blocked their way. When the soldiers entered the alley, all they saw were a few boards, pried open and left on the ground.

* * *

They were running towards the church when he heard the Wolf.

"Val, where are you going?"

It was getting close, jumping over the rooftops while the sound of boots got closer and louder. Every now and then, an arrow whistled past them. As they rounded a corner, he saw an arrow coming right at him. He anticipated the impact, only to see Henrietta get in the way. It hit her in the left shoulder, yet she continued to pull him forward. She began to slow down, so he put one arm around her and supported her as they ran. He saw the church steps, and ran faster. Then he skidded to a halt. Father Solomon stood in front of the gates, blocking their way to sanctuary.


	12. Chapter 11: The Village United

**The Boy in Red**

 _A Genderbent Fanfiction_

 _By Violindance7_

Chapter 11: The Village United

* * *

"We claim sanctuary!"

"Oh but you can't. You're not on holy ground yet." Father Solomon then reached out and yanked the arrow out of Henrietta's shoulder. "And this belongs to me." Henrietta gritted her teeth against the pain and clasped her hand over her shoulder to try and stanch the bleeding.

As he tried to hold her up, all Val wanted to do was look into the wound to see what was inside her that could radiate such goodness. His skin crawled as he heard it again.

"Val." He turned around to face the Wolf, towering over them with two soldiers dead at its feet.

Solomon looked up at the blood moon, paling in the rising sun. He grabbed Val by the hood and yanked him back. He set his sword against his throat, using him as a human shield and leaving Henrietta to bleed to death on the ground.

"You want him alive, don't you? Well we will stall until daybreak."

The Wolf glared at Solomon, and then looked at the fading moon. It knew it didn't have much time before it became human again. Inside the churchyard, Val saw the villagers gawk at the scene before them. They then backed away as the Wolf slowly walked towards the church. Val knew it was plotting something, but wasn't sure what it was, until he noticed Solomon was shaking. His bloodlust was devouring him before the Wolf had a chance to. He threw Val to the side and charged full force at the Wolf with his sword raised. The Wolf anticipated his attack and leapt over the sword and crunched its massive jaw onto his wrist. The hand fell heavily onto the snow, bitten clean off. The silver-tipped fingers still clenched the hilt of the sword and gleamed in the rising sun. Father Solomon moaned in agony and staggered back towards the church. A bowman shot arrows at the Wolf, but the Wolf easily dodged each bolt. Using the distraction, Val pulled Henrietta through the gate onto sacred ground while the Wolf attacked the bowman. The Wolf charged towards the gates, but was too late to stop them. It reached a paw over the gate, and immediately snatched it back as its paw started to catch fire.

"You can't hide from me. Step through the gate or I'll kill everyone you love. Do you understand?"

"I understand."

"See how he talks to the Wolf!" screamed Solomon.

Both of them ignored him. "Make your decision. You know that though I cannot hurt them now, you don't know who I am and I can still hurt them all once they leave this church."

"If I go with you, will you spare this village?"

"If you go with me, we'll never see this place again."

Val thought of all the people around him, of Henrietta. A few hours ago, many of them condemned him to death. But they were flawed and perfect in their humanity. None of them deserved to die. He was not afraid to die, because the part of him that mattered was already dead.

"I won't let you destroy my home. I'll go with you. To save them."

He took a step forward, until a movement from the crowd made him stop.

Roxas walked towards him. "I won't let you make that sacrifice." He then stepped between him and the Wolf. Ross stepped beside him and said, "Neither will I." Priam then stepped forward. One by one, other villagers surrounded him, until they all stood as one against the Wolf. For a few serene moments, the center of the universe was right there in the village churchyard.

The Wolf was furious. "I will be back for you. And you will be sorry." It then charged into the fading darkness as the sun rose over the horizon. The villagers cheered, aware that for the first time in decades, they had truly defeated the Wolf. In the celebration, nobody was aware of Solomon limping towards Val. Before he realized it, Solomon struck him on the side of the head, and he fell hard against the stone wall.

"You will still burn." He raised his fist again, only to be jerked back as a bull whip wrapped itself around his remaining wrist. Solomon was shocked as the Captain came towards him.

"Under the blood moon, a man bitten is a man cursed."

"My daughters will be orphans."

"My brother had children too." He then drew his sword as Father Solomon made the sign of the cross.

"Forgive your lost sheep Father. I meant only to serve you, to protect us from darkness…"

The Captain plunged his sword into Solomon's chest, piercing his heart. Val watched with satisfaction as blood trickled down his forehead. The world grew dark. Before he lost consciousness, he kept thinking, "Where is Petra?"

* * *

He woke up at Grandmother's. Val looked over and saw Grandmother, sleeping by his side. It should have been Lucius. Where was he? Gone. He would always be gone.

Grandmother opened her eyes. But they were dark, too dark. And too big.

"What big eyes you have, Grandmother."

"The better to see you with my dear."

Her ears peeked out from beneath her hair, strangely pointed.

"What big ears you have, Grandmother."

"The better to hear you with my dear."

She smiled. And her teeth looked longer and sharper than usual.

"What big teeth you have, Grandmother."

"The better to eat you with my dear."

Grandmother lunged…

* * *

Val woke. He was in his own bed, with Roxas asleep beside him. Roxas was not Lucius either. He sat up and saw Suzette in the kitchen.

"Darling, I've made you some porridge, your favorite." Val pulled on his boots and settled his red cloak around his shoulders. He put a basket of fruit together and placed a handkerchief over it. "Val? What are you doing?"

"I'm leaving now." He swiped a knife from the table and hid it from view.

"Leaving? Where to, darling?"

"To Grandmother's. I had…I think she might be in danger." He also needed to find Petra and Henrietta.

"Val, you don't always need to take care of everyone. I made porridge, your favorite. You're safe with us."

"Goodbye Mother." And then he was gone.

* * *

He walked through the village as the snow fell around him. The evening was fast approaching. He passed the iron elephant, lying on its side with the door hacked off.

He saw a figure on a steed approach him, with Solomon's soldiers following behind. He felt fear in his heart, until he saw the figure atop the horse was Henrietta. She looked proud. For the first time in her life, she had a purpose. She had finally found her place in the world. She stepped off the horse and hugged him.

"You're a warrior." He smiled as he pulled back, then frowned when he saw her face. "What is it?"

"No one has seen Petra. If I find her, I'll do what I have to." She then climbed on top of the horse and she and the soldiers were gone. Val looked on as she rode away. He had chosen someone else over her, yet she stood by him. She sacrificed herself to protect him. He was indebted to her. But more importantly, he knew what was inside his heart. He could have had a life with her. A life that was steady and secure. But as much as he wanted to, that life was not for him. That knowledge left him feeling hollow.

* * *

He just had to make one stop. He returned to the churchyard. A few hours earlier, so much had happened here. But now, it was empty. He found what he needed and left for the forest.

* * *

He was walking through the forest. He knew Grandmother's house must be near, but the path seemed different. Everything was all turned around. It was like he was swimming through oil. He could feel something behind him, approaching him. It was coming closer. He turned. It was her. Petra, stalking after the boy she loved.

"Val, thank God you're all right." She moved towards him. "I have to leave. You won't be safe with me. I just needed to see you one last time."

He knew it was possible she was the Wolf. But he also knew that whatever she was, she loved him. And he loved her. They gave in to each other, their bodies fitting together. He didn't care if she was the Wolf or not. He was hers, and she was his. They stood together, sharing kisses, as the wind blew around them. Black and red in a dark forest.


	13. Epilogue: The Boy and the Wolf

**The Boy in Red**

 _A Genderbent Fanfiction_

 _By Violindance7_

Epilogue: The Boy and the Wolf

* * *

He could have been happy. He thought of all he had lost in three short days. His brother. His belief in the world. The love of his life. Cruel fate had taken it all away. In this world, nothing is as it seems. The life you lead that is so beautiful and perfect may be filled with wolves in sheep clothing. You may make one wrong turn, and you're forever lost in the woods. And you realize, happily ever after is only for stories. But he would wait. He would wait as long as it took, but one day he would have his happily ever after. Yet all he could think of was how happy he might have been, had he not noticed those gloves.

* * *

He was lost in bliss. To feel her lips on his, feel her warmth against his, he could melt into her. Become one with her, forever. Then his hands felt for hers, and he felt gloves. He tried to ignore it, but his thoughts immediately turned to the Wolf when it burned its paw. He pulled away.

"Where were you?"

"They locked me inside of that awful metal elephant. It burned my hands, but I managed to escape." He slowly backed away. It would be just like the Wolf to make an elaborate excuse. "You don't believe me." He backed further away and took the knife from his boot. He held it in front of him. "Please, believe me."

Instead, fear overtook love, and he ran. He didn't stop to see if she was following him and it didn't matter. He had to reach Grandmother's. Further into the woods, he ran.

* * *

"Grandmother!"

"Pull the latch, dear."

He entered Grandmother's house and immediately bolted the door. He turned around and took it all in. Everything was the same. A pot of stew was simmering on the fire. Everything was quiet, bathed in firelight.

"Are you all right? I had a strange dream and felt the need to check on you." He tried to look into her bedroom through the silk curtains and only saw a shape in her bed.

"I'll be out in a minute." The figure rose, but hid its face from him. Immediately, fear began to take over.

"I think the Wolf is still out there."

"It's all right dear. We're safe. Nothing can hurt us here. Remember, all our sorrows…"

"…are less with bread." He ladled a bowl of stew for himself, but knew something was wrong. Grandmother's voice was too deep. The shape in the other room not like his Grandmother's. The figure walked towards the curtain. As it got closer, he could tell that it wasn't Grandmother. The curtains parted, and Val looked into the face of his father. Or at least it resembled his father. But where Cesaire was always drunk and hardly there, this man was fully in control.

"Father…"

"I'm sorry. She's dead. I had no choice. She finally realized what I am."

"What you are?" He looked at his father's hand, and saw it was burned. "How…how could you? How could you kill Grandmother? How could you kill Lucius?"

"Val, I loved you boys so much and I wanted you two to have a normal childhood. So I lived a double life. I tried to live as a normal man, but I couldn't do it. Daggorhorn is such a small village. And do you know how it feels, to be disrespected by your wife, day in and day out? To know she only has eyes for the richest man in town? I wanted, richer hunting grounds. Imagine the terror I could wreck in cities. But I couldn't leave my boys, so I waited. I decided to bide my time."

"Until the blood moon."

"Yes. The three of us could have ruled the cities and lived as kings. By birthright, my eldest child would have the gift to communicate with me. I wrote Lucius that note, telling him to meet Henrietta alone. But when I spoke to him, he didn't understand me. But I suppose your mother already told you that. I was so angry, and I struck. In a way, I'm glad I killed the spawn of that man. But I do regret killing him. I lost control after years of being careful. Then I took revenge on your mother and her lover."

"But why kill Grandmother?" He wanted to know, but he also had to think of a plan.

"All werewolves have a certain scent. My father had a scent, as did his father and so on. As a matter of fact, his scent still lingers on his clothes. My mother kept them in a chest in her room. It all would have been fine if it wasn't for those damn Lazars. Grandmother first started to suspect when she heard Madame Lazar talking about the center of it all. She assumed it was you, but I knew it would only be a matter of time before she realized that I was the center of all of this. I trailed her to make sure she didn't reach that conclusion. And then she talked to that girl. Henrietta recognized the scent when I stood outside the shop. Luckily, she assumed it was Grandmother. Unfortunately, Grandmother realized the truth. So I followed her back here. She took out his clothes, and sniffed them, and that's when I killed her. I regret having to kill her."

"But you still did."

Ignoring that remark, he continued, "Come with me. Just one bite, and you can be like me. Though the moon is no longer visible, the red planet is still affecting it for another few hours."

"No. I don't want to be like you."

"Sure you do. My blood runs through your veins. The gift grows with each generation. I was stronger than my father and you can be even stronger than me. Together, we would be invincible."

It was tempting, to just give in. To stop trying to be a hero and let darkness take him. But he also knew there was too much good in the world to just give in.

"Never." He then took the knife from his boot and charged. His father caught his hand and slammed him against the wall.

"Well I wanted you as an ally but I can see I'll have to persuade you after the fact." Val struggled to free himself as his father bared his teeth, but his father had an iron grip. He braced himself for the pain, until Cesaire stopped and looked towards the door. Suddenly, an axe chopped through the wood. In a few blows, Petra came through the door.

"So you're the Wolf. You're not so scary now that the sun is up." She swung her axe at Cesaire, but he caught it without flinching.

"That's where you're wrong, dear." Without difficulty, he pushed the axe and the girl back. He lunged at her, but immediately stopped as he sensed Val coming at him with a knife. Cesaire easily evaded the attack and caught him by the wrist. He tried to bite the wrist, only to be stopped by the girl as she once more swung her axe. Cesaire caught the axe and then kicked her against the room. Val knew he had to do something, and then saw what he needed.

Cesaire was walking towards Petra, ready to use her own axe to kill her, when Val said, "Father?" He turned around and saw Val holding a basket.

"I have something for you in this basket?"

"What is it?"

"Why don't you come and see?"

Cesaire dropped the axe and walked towards Val. Val opened the basket a little, knowing Cesaire would try to peer inside, entranced by this sick game. While Cesaire held his eyes to the basket, Val looked into Petra's eyes and then kept darting them to the axe. Understanding, Petra took the axe and buried it in Cesaire's back in one swift motion. While Cesaire howled in pain, Val took Father Solomon's hand from the basket and used the silver nails to slit his throat.

"I'm sorry," was the last thing he said to his father before he fell to the ground. As the blood pooled at his feet, Val looked at the body, and mourned the loss of his father, instead of the defeat of the beast.

Petra walked out the door quickly. Val followed and tried to stop her, until he saw the bite marks on her arm.

"He bit me." It was a simple statement, but it shattered his world. "You're not safe with me."

"Yes I am."

"How? When the next full moon rises, I'll be a beast, just like him."

"You'll never be like him."

"Why? Because I love you and you love me?"

"Because I believe in you. You're stronger than him. You can learn to control it."

"And what if I can't?"

"You will."

* * *

They were in a boat in the middle of the half frozen river. They had cut him open and filled him with rocks so he would never surface. They rowed to the center of the river. Val took one last look at his father, and then threw him into the water. They rowed back in silence. He stepped onto the dock and turned to tie the boat to the dock, only to find Petra rowing away.

"Petra?!"

"I can still hurt you. I have to leave you."

"I'll wait for you."

"I thought you'd say that."

He watched as she disappeared on the horizon, waiting for the day his love would return and give him happily ever after.

* * *

Life in Daggorhorn continued on. The people no longer lived in fear of the Wolf. But they remained fearful of the world beyond their little village. Men like Father Solomon inhabited the outside world.

Henrietta knew this to be true. Father Solomon must once have only wanted to help others. But he lost his way. As Henrietta travelled with his men, she was careful not to lose her way. And in doing so, she had finally found her courage.

Suzette never questioned what happened to her husband. After all, how could she miss a man who had never been fully there in the first place? She did miss her lover, but maybe it was her lot in life to live without. She had lived her whole life without. How could life be any different from what it had been?

Roxas studied and eventually took over for Father Auguste. Religion was meant to be a way to remind people that there was good in this world. Claudette was proof that goodness inhabited even the most imperfect of beings. Maybe he could remind people of that, the way she always did for him.

As for Val, he could not live in Daggorhorn anymore. He moved in to Grandmother's cottage and only came into the village to visit his mother. For all her faults, he still loved her and she still loved him. As they do, the villagers talked. They talked of the strange boy with hair the color of fresh corn and rather unusual green eyes that always gave villagers the feeling that they were looking into the eyes of something not quite human. He lived the life of a hermit in the woods. This boy did not make sense to them. A boy who won the hearts of the blacksmith's girl, who would marry him, and the woodcutter's girl, who would run away with him, was alone. He was clearly waiting for something, but what, they did not know. Never did they suspect that the boy in the red hood awaited the day the Wolf would return for him. And hopefully it wouldn't be wearing Grandmother's clothing.

* * *

 **Once again, I do not own the original story, Little Red Riding Hood, nor the 2011 movie, Red Riding Hood. This took over a year but it's finally done. Thank you for reading and I've already got my next project in mind. If you so choose, keep your eyes peeled for it. - Violindance7  
**


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